Machine for the bleaching of fabrics in an open state



Sept. 24, 1929. c. TAYLOR 1,729,021

MACHINE FOR THE BLEAGHING OF FABRICS IN AN OPEN STATE Filed June 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q fume/Lion FM W .Ftlormy Sept. 24-, 1929. c. TAYLOR 1,729,021

MACHINE FOR THE BLEACHING 0F FABRICS IN AN OPEN STATE Filed June 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jlttorney' Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES TAYLOR, F KEARSLEY, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND MACHINE FOR THE BLEACHING OF FABRICS IN AN OPEN STATE Application filed. June 21, 1928, Serial No. 287,072, and in Great Britain October 12, 1927.

This invention relates to machines for bleaching and the object thereof is to provide a novel form of machine which whilst enabling two or more open widths of fabric to be simultaneously and repeatedly treated and padded ensures a uniform and thorough impregnation of the fabric with liquor.

I attain this object by the machine illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view in section of a machine for cold bleaching, that is to say, bleaching with unheated liquor, and shows one position of the fabric as it is fed.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1, but shows parts of the machine and the fabric in different positions.

Referring to the drawings, in the example shown therein, 1 is a liquor vat above which a cylinder 2 is rotatably mounted, the cylinder 2 being driven from a reversible electric motor 3 by means of a belt 4. Adjustable pressure drums 5 are mounted to press towards the cylinder 2 and be rotated by fric tion. Pipes 6 having jet holes adapted to direct liquor in the form of jets towards the cylinder 2 are provided between adjacent rollers 5 and are supplied with liquor under pressure by means of a pipe 7 which is connected to a pipe 8 leading from the output side of a pump 9 the input side of which is connected by a pipe 10 which leads from the bottom 11 of the liquor vat. The pump 9 may be driven by any suitable means and is shown by way of example as driven from a sunk shaft 12 by gearing 13, the shaft 12 being suitably driven, for example by means of a belt (not shown) driven from an overhead shaft (not shown) or counter shaft and running on one or other of the fast and loose pulleys 14 and 15 provided on the shaft 12.

The vat can be replenished by means of a pipe 16 provided with a cock 17 and connected to a reserve tank 18 adapted to contain concentrated liquor, the feed from the tank 18 to the vat 1 being by gravity.

The vat 1 contains guide rollers 19, 20, 21 and 22 and uide rollers 23 and 24 are provided above the vet,

A pair of bins 25, 26, preferably sunk into the foundation is provided at one side of the cylinder 2 and a similar pair of bins 27, 28 is provided at the other side of the cylinder 2. In connection with the bins 25, 26 there is a pair of squeezing rollers 30 and in connection with the bins 27, 28 there is a simi lar pair of squeezing rollers 31 which however are rotated in opposite directions to the. rollers 30.

Each bin 25, 26 has a pair of arms 32 arranged outside it and fulcrumed at 33 and 34; The pairs of arms 32 are pivotally linked together by links 35. One pair of the arms 32 has a roller 36 mounted on it and the other pair of arms has a roller 37 mounted on it.

Each bin 27, 28 has a pair of arms 38 arranged outside it and fulcrumed at 83 and-84,

the two pairs of arms 38 being pivotally linked together by links 39. One pair of. arms 38 carries a roller 40 and the other pair of arms 38 carries a roller 41.

The arms 32 are oscillated by means of connecting rods 42 actuated by crank pins 43 provided on discs 44 attached to a cross shaft 45 provided with a worm wheel 46 which meshes with a worm 47 on the shaft 12.

The arms 38 are oscillated by means of connecting rods 48 driven by crank pins 49 provided on disc 50 which are attached to a cross shaft 51 provided with a worm wheel 52 in gear with a worm 53 provided on the shaft 12.

The drive of the rollers 40-and 41 is obtained from the shaft of the cylinder 2 by means of a strap 54 which drives onto a loose, double width pulley 59 connected by a belt 55 to a fast, double width pulley 56 on the shaft of the roller 41, the pulley 56 being also connected by a belt 57 to a fast pulley 58 on the shaft of the roller 40.

The rollers 36 and'37 are driven in a similar manner, the belt 54 being however removed from the pulley 59 and placed on the corresponding pulley 60 when it is desired to cease rotation of the rollers 40 and 41 and effect rotation of the rollers 36 and 37. It will be observed that by this arrangement the direction of rotation of the rollers 40 and 41 is caused to be opposite to that of the rollers 100 36 and 37 when the electric motor 3 is reversed and the belt 54. is changed over.

Swivelling guide rollers 61 and 62 are mounted on stirrups 68 and 64 which are turnable at 65 and 66 respectively so that after the arms 38 have been turned into suitable positions the rollers can be swung downwards to occupy central positions at the tops of the two compartments of the pair of bins 27, 28.

Similar swivelling guide rollers 67 and 68 are mounted on stirrups 69 and 70 adapted to be turned about 71 and 72 respectively when the arms 32 are in a suitable position so as to bring the rollers 67 and 68 in position at the centre of the compartments of the bin 25, 26 at the tops of the said compartments.

The machine is used by first feeding one width of fabric in open form and of substantially the full width of the cylinder 2 over rails 7 3 and 76 then round the under side of the guide roller 20, then between the nearest drum 5, round the cylinder 2, round the under side of the lowest drum 5 at the right hand side of the cylinder, from thence up through the squeezing rollers 31, over the piling roller 41 into the bin 28. A second width of fabric in open form is simultaneously fed over the rails 75 and 74, round the under side of the roller 19, round the right hand side of the roller 23, then between the nearest roller 5 and the cylinder, around the cylinder and around the under side of the lowermost roller 5 at the right hand side of the cylinder 2, then between the squeezing rollers 31, over the piling roller 11 and over the piling roller 40 into the bin 27. The arrangement of the rails 73, 7 1, 75 and 76 and the rollers 19, 20 and 23 ensures that the two widths remain separated until they pass between the nearest drum 5 and the cylinder 2. From this point to the piling roller 41 the widths lie one on top of the other and are only separated when the one width passes down into the bin 28 and the other width passes over the roller 4L0 into the bin 27. In Figure l'the fabric is shown in the position it occupies as it is first fed from the left hand over the various parts into the bins 28 and 27.

During the passage of the two widths round the cylinder 2 they are pressed between the drums 5 and the cylinder 2 and are subjected to the jets of liquor issuing from the pipes 6. The rollers 19 and 20 ensure the passage of the two widths whilst still separated through the liquor in the vat 1.

hen the two widths have been subjected the liquor and the squeezing action of the drums 5 and squeezing rollers 31 and have been piled in the bins 27, 28, the direction of rotation of the cylinder 2 is reversed and the belt 54 is removed from the pulley 59 and placed on the corresponding pulley 60. The arms 63 and 6 1 are now turned out of the positions shown in Figure 1 into the positions shown in Figure 3, where the rollers 61 and 62 are in their operative positions. The last end of the width to enter the part 28 is passed over the roller 61, over the rail 77, round the under side of the guide roller 22, and round the left hand side of the guide roller 2%, then between the nearest drum 5 and the cylinder 2, round the cylinder 2 to the lowest drum 5 at the left hand side of the cylinder 2, round the under side of the said drum, up to and between the squeezing-rollers 30 and over the piling roller 37 into the bin 26. The last end of the width to enter the part 27 is passed over the roller 62, then over rails 78 and 79, round the under side of the roller 21 and from thence directly between the nearest drum 5 and the cylinder 2, from whence it passes round the cylinder 2 to the lowest drum 5 at the left hand side of the cylinder 2, round the under side of the said roller, between the squeezing rollers 30, over the roller 37 and over the roller 36 into the bin In Figure 3 the fabric is shown in the position it occupies as it is fed from the bins 28 and 27 from the right hand into the bins 26 and 25.

Thus the widths are passed between the cylinder 2 and the drums 5 in the opposite direction and are subjected to the liquor in the vat 1, the jets of liquor issuing from the pipes 6 and the squeezing action of the drums 5. Until they arrive at the cylinder 2 they are kept separate from each other, but from that point until they reach the roller 37 they lie one on top of the other in contact with each other. At the roller 37 they again separate and are piled separately in the bins 25, 26. The two widths can be again run through the vat 1 and round the cylinder 2 back to the bins 27, 28, the rollers 67 and 68 being provided for that purpose and rails 80, 81 and 82 being arranged to retain the two widths in a separate condition as they pass fromv the bins 25, 26 to the rollers 20 and 19.

It will be appreciated that the widths can be thus treated repeatedly as many times as may be necessary and that they can remain for any length of time in either the bins 25, 26 or the bins 27, 28 between the treatments with liquor. After the bleaching operation is complete the two widths can be removed by any suitable means from the bins in which they have been piled.

here narrow widths of fabric are being dealt with, two widths may be run side by side, there being thus four widths running through the machine at one time. I

Whilst the only embodiment of the invention herein particularly described is that now preferred, it is to be understood that in its broad aspects the invention is not confined to the details of the disclosure, which are capable of modification, omission or substitution and are herein recited for explanation and without limitative intent, wherefore all modifications, substitutions, multiplications and omissions, whatsoever, as fall within the scope of the appended claims are to be deemed as ineluded.

I claim- 1. A machine for the bleaching of fabric in an open state, comprising a rotary cylinder, pressure drums running in contact therewith, liquor jets arranged to direct liquor on to the fabric between the said drums, a vat beneath the rotary cylinder, pairs of rollers provided in the vat to simultaneously guide two or more open fabric widths through the liquor in the vat Whilst preventing the said widths from coming into contact with each other before they reach the rotary cylinder, a pair of bins at each side of the rotary cylinder, and fabric pilers provided for each of the said bins.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein displaceable guide rollers are provided to guide the fabric widths out of the bins, and guide rails are provided which maintain the said widths in a separate state on their passage to the rollers provided in the vat to guide the fabric widths through the liquor.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the bins are of great depth and piler arms of great-length are provided on the fabric pilers whereby a large storage of fabric is obtained and a comparatively smallelfort is required to actuate the fabric pilers and give them a long traverse or throw.

4. In a machine for the bleaching of fabric in an open state, spaced pairs of bins, coupled piler arms oscillatably mounted outside the bins, driven piler rollers mounted on the said arms above the bins, displaceable guide rollers mounted on the bins, a rotary cylinder arranged in the space between the pairs of bins, rotary pressure rollers arranged around the periphery of the rotary cylinder, a vat provided beneath the cylinder, pairs of guide members provided inside the vat, guide rails provided on the bins for simultaneously guiding two fabric widths from each pair of bins along separate paths to the separate guide members in the vat, guide means provided between the vat and the rotary cylinder for guiding the fabric width along different paths during the simultaneous travel thereof from the guide members in the vat to the periphery of the rotary cylinder, and means for spraying liquid from the vat onto the fabric widths whilst the said widths run on the rotary cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification at Manchester in the county of Lancaster, England, this 8th day of June, 1928.

. CHARLES TAYLOR. 

